Study phase:

During the early phases (phases 1 and 2), researchers assess safety, side effects, optimal dosages and risks/benefits. In the later phase (phase 3), researchers study whether the treatment works better than the current standard therapy. They also compare the safety of the new treatment with that of current treatments. Phase 3 trials include large numbers of people to make sure that the result is valid. There are also less common very early (phase 0) and later (phase 4) phases. Phase 0 trials are small trials that help researchers decide if a new agent should be tested in a phase 1 trial. Phase 4 trials look at long-term safety and effectiveness, after a new treatment has been approved and is on the market.

About this study

The most promising chimeric natriuretic peptide designed and studied by our group has been CD-NP which has anti-fibrotic and cardioprotective properties in vivo, vitro and in normal volunteers and human heart failure patients. Since left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can not reverse remodeling of the heart whereas it can improve hemodynamics, CD-NP may be novel anti-fibrotic and anti-remodeling drug as co-therapy during LVAD support.

Medical records research — uses historical information collected from medical records of large groups of people to study how diseases progress and which treatments and surgeries work best.

About this study

The investigators will do the study in two phases. The first phase will be a pilot study on up to 18 participants [patients 60 years or older with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) or patients who are eligible to undergo and participate in cardiac rehabilitation (CR)]; up to 6 participants each will be given oral daily rapamycin (0.5, 1, and 2mg) dose for the duration of CR. Baseline and follow-up data will be collected for age-associated impairment (AAI): frailty (primary endpoint) and quality of life (QOL),senescent-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)and abdominal/thigh subcutaneous adipose biopsy for measurement of adipocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number and to quantitate the number of senescent preadipocytes. Safety of rapamycin will be assessed by periodic clinical follow-up, blood draws, and serum rapamycin levels. Following completion of the pilot phase, the data will be analyzed. If favorable changes are noted in the SASP or AAI, the investigators will start a phase 2 randomized trial.

Second phase: In a prospective, randomized, clinical trial design, patients 60 years or older will be randomized at the time of CR to a standardized exercise protocol, or exercise protocol with the addition of low-dose rapamycin to test the hypothesis whether low-dose rapamycin (demonstrated in the pilot trial to improve SASP/AAI) will improve measures of AAI, SASP, or findings on the fat biopsy as compared to exercise alone. The null hypotheses are that there is no improvement with rapamycin in measures of AAI or SASP.

Medical records research — uses historical information collected from medical records of large groups of people to study how diseases progress and which treatments and surgeries work best.

About this study

The purpose of this study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Atrial Fibrillation Survey (KABAFS) and to generate critical, practical knowledge about the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial to test the effect of the Alert for Atrial Fibrillation program on treatment-seeking for symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation (AF).

Medical records research — uses historical information collected from medical records of large groups of people to study how diseases progress and which treatments and surgeries work best.

About this study

The purpose of this study is to determine a relationship between a person's flora/bacteria in their gut (the intestinal microbiome) and their risk of cardiovascular disease. Investigators will look at inflammatory markers in the blood and also look at the genome of the bacteria in the gut.

This research is being done because Investigators believe that there is a connection between the way food is digested by a person's gut bacteria and the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and cardiovascular disease. The ultimate goal of this research is to eventually determine if changes to the gut bacteria can prevent cardiovascular disease or disease progression.

Medical records research — uses historical information collected from medical records of large groups of people to study how diseases progress and which treatments and surgeries work best.

About this study

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with endothelial dysfunction and the development of cardiovascular disease. It is unclear how OSA results in endothelial dysfunction, but given the association between OSA and obesity, adipose-derived hormones (adipokines) are likely to be involved. Leptin, an adipokine upregulated in patients with OSA, has been shown to be associated with deleterious effects on vascular function resulting in impaired endothelial function. This proposal is directed at investigating the molecular mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction in OSA patients. We hypothesize that endothelial dysfunction associated with OSA is a result of molecular alterations within endothelial cells. As a part of these studies we will look at NO signaling pathways in adipose tissue and microvessels from normal and OSA subjects.

Medical records research — uses historical information collected from medical records of large groups of people to study how diseases progress and which treatments and surgeries work best.

About this study

The TOCCASTAR Study will assess the safety and effectiveness of a contact force sensing catheter used for ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Subjects will be randomized for treatment with either the TactiCath catheter or another ablation catheter with no contact force sensing capability. Patients will be followed for 12 months to compare the incidence of serious adverse events and freedom from recurring, symptomatic AF between the two study arms. Additional measures of treatment success including quality of life, recurrence of asymptomatic AF and procedural efficiency will also be studied.

A second phase of the study will treat up to 50 non-randomized subjects with a new version of the device under the same protocol.

Study phase:

During the early phases (phases 1 and 2), researchers assess safety, side effects, optimal dosages and risks/benefits. In the later phase (phase 3), researchers study whether the treatment works better than the current standard therapy. They also compare the safety of the new treatment with that of current treatments. Phase 3 trials include large numbers of people to make sure that the result is valid. There are also less common very early (phase 0) and later (phase 4) phases. Phase 0 trials are small trials that help researchers decide if a new agent should be tested in a phase 1 trial. Phase 4 trials look at long-term safety and effectiveness, after a new treatment has been approved and is on the market.

About this study

This is a Phase I study to determine the safety and feasibility of injections of autologous umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells into the right ventricle of HLHS children undergoing a scheduled Glenn surgical procedure.

The investigators are doing this research study to find out if autologous stem cells from the individual's own umbilical cord blood can be used to strengthen the muscle of the right side of their heart. This will help determine the safety and feasibility of using cell-based regenerative therapy as an additional treatment for the management of HLHS.

Study phase:

During the early phases (phases 1 and 2), researchers assess safety, side effects, optimal dosages and risks/benefits. In the later phase (phase 3), researchers study whether the treatment works better than the current standard therapy. They also compare the safety of the new treatment with that of current treatments. Phase 3 trials include large numbers of people to make sure that the result is valid. There are also less common very early (phase 0) and later (phase 4) phases. Phase 0 trials are small trials that help researchers decide if a new agent should be tested in a phase 1 trial. Phase 4 trials look at long-term safety and effectiveness, after a new treatment has been approved and is on the market.

About this study

Multi-center, dual cohort (randomized and single vessel) study designed to demonstrate feasibility, initial safety and performance of the Kips Bay Medical, Inc. eSVS® Mesh as an external vein support device for use over saphenous vein grafts during coronary artery bypass surgery. In the Randomized Cohort, each study subject will receive a SVG without Mesh (control) and a SVG with the eSVS Mesh (treatment). In the Single Vessel Cohort, each study subject will receive one SVG with the eSVS Mesh.

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